


It's Tradition (2009)

by JennyB



Series: Advent 2009 [20]
Category: Gravitation
Genre: Advent Challenge 2009, Brotherly Love, Flashbacks, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-20
Updated: 2009-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 16:23:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tohma revisits an old Christmas tradition for Eiri.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Tradition (2009)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Advent Challenge 2009. Prompt: Stockings.

Eiri sighed as he rode the elevator up to the penthouse suite. His sister had married Seguchi Tohma that spring, and as this was their first Christmas together, she had wanted to host a small get-together. And that invitation had extended to him to come celebrate with them. Personally, he couldn't give a rat's ass about the party or their friends, and quite frankly, he would have preferred to have been left alone to work on his novel. But, Mika had been by earlier in the week to confirm his attendance, and Tohma had dropped by the night before to see how he was doing and to see if he wanted him to come by and pick him up so he wouldn't have to worry about driving.

Eiri had refused the ride (and the invitation to stay the night if he needed to), but had told Tohma he'd be there - if only to get the other to leave. His brother-in-law was probably his oldest friend, but sometimes his doting could be suffocating and it irritated him. Besides, he was twenty now, an adult, and a published author. He didn't need to hide in Tohma's shadow any longer - he could take care of himself.

He'd debated simply blowing off the party and staying home to work, but he knew that would be a bad idea. For one thing, Mika had keys to his apartment, and if she had to drive over to drag him out, he knew she'd be pissed. Or she'd send Tohma, who would then sit with him and they'd drink and talk, and he'd miss the party and leave her to handle his friends alone. And she'd be pissed. He thought about just taking off and hiding out for the night, too, but after the fact, he'd eventually run into his sister again. And she'd be pissed.

He sighed again as the doors opened and he stepped out into the elaborately decorated corridor. No matter what he did, short of sucking it up and coming to the party, would involve dealing with his irate sibling. And while normally, he could tune out his sister's overbearing personality and general bitchiness, he also had a deadline coming up and really didn't feel like dealing with the bullshit. Besides, putting in an appearance would appease her, and would fulfill his familial obligations for the holidays. And he could turn her down for New Year's, saying he had a date and probably wouldn't be stopping by.

He knocked on the door, and while he didn't smile, he did manage to lose the contemptuous sneer for all of about five seconds as he hugged his sister. "Mikarin," he greeted, using the old nickname he used to have for her, and he smirked a bit at the shocked look on her face. "Merry Christmas." He handed her a bottle of wine, one he knew she liked, and then he shrugged out of his coat and put it in the closet. He looked around their apartment. It was very large, and there were about a dozen people milling about the living room, chatting and enjoying hors d'oeuvres. He recognized the other two members of Nittle Grasper, but none of the others, and he barely managed to stifle a yawn. _Not bad, Sis,_ he thought. _Five minutes, and I'm already bored._

He made his way into the room, bypassing the other partygoers and making his way over to the bar. There, he grabbed a beer (he noticed that Tohma had stocked Budweiser for him) and an ashtray, and headed out onto the balcony. The night was cool, but not cold, and though he shivered a little with no coat on, if he stood back against the glass doors, it was like he was in a natural wind block, and it wasn't too bad. Gazing out at the city below, he could see some of the holiday illuminations, and it got his mind thinking about a possible setting for one of his books. He was lost in plot ideas and characters, and he didn't hear the door open behind him. It was a few minutes later before he realized that there was someone next to him, and when he glanced over, he rolled his eyes a little when he saw Tohma. "Bored, too?" he drawled, and he offered the other a cigarette, smirking a bit at the surprise that flitted across the green eyes.

After a moment, the shorter blond's expression softened, and a wide smile curved his mouth upwards. "You know I don't smoke, Eiri-kun!" he said with a soft chuckle, and he moved closer to the other. "I was wondering where you'd disappeared to. Mika-san told me you were here." His smile widened further, which caused the corners of his eyes to crinkle a little. "I was wondering if you were going to stand us up - it's already after nine."

Eiri snorted as he took a long pull from his bottle. "Wouldn't dream of it," he lied, and he glanced sidelong at the other. Tohma had always been very good at reading him when he'd been younger, and he wondered if he still was. A smirk pulled at his lips when he saw the slight arch of a brow. "What?"

Tohma gave him a soft look. "I do appreciate you coming tonight, Eiri-kun. It means a lot to both Mika-san and to me." One of those wide smiles settled on his face again. "This is the first time you've actually been to see our home."

The taller blond shrugged a bit. "Is it? Hn." He took a final drag off his cigarette and tamped out the filter. "Well, it's not like you've been here all that long. I was getting around to it."

The other smirked and shook his head. "It's been over six months, Eiri-kun. But that's alright. I know you've been busy. I'm just very pleased you're here. It means that I get to spoil you a little with one of our old Christmas traditions, ne?"

Blue eyes widened a little, and he glanced down, noticing for the first time that Tohma was carrying a stocking in his hands. "Shit..." He promptly downed the rest of his beer. "Tell me no one else saw you with that!"

"Just Sakuma-kun, but I had one for him, too, and he's busy colouring now and has probably forgotten." His smile fell a little. "What's the matter, Eiri-kun? You used to love when I'd give you one of these!"

"Yeah, when I was fourteen!" the other countered tartly.

Tohma's expression softened some, and he, too, thought back on that young boy he'd looked after. He'd been so innocent then. And he supposed that was part of the reason behind his gift. He knew that it was a bit selfish on his part, but he just wanted to see the other smile a bit, even if only for a few moments. "Please, Eiri-kun," he insisted as he offered out the stocking. "If nothing, humour an old man?"

The tall blond snorted at that, and he glanced down at his empty beer bottle. God, he wanted another drink, but if he went inside to get one, Tohma was sure to follow him, and everyone would see him parading that stupid stocking around, too. And if he stayed where he was, the other would continue to pester him about the damned thing until he gave in. With a somewhat impatient sigh, he took the red stocking, and he shook his head in annoyance when he saw his brother-in-law's face practically light up with joy. He reached inside, and he pulled out a six-pack of disposable pens. "Ballpoint pens? Really?" he quipped dryly. "You know I haven't written by hand in years."

"I know," Tohma replied. "But I always gave you a six-pack of green-inked pens, so I couldn't very well break the tradition."

"Hn." Recalling the other items that would routinely appear in his Christmas stocking, Eiri wasn't at all surprised to find a Moleskine notebook, a pack of chewing gum, and a tangerine. He did arch a brow when he pulled out a small plastic container which contained a half-dozen strawberry petits-fours, and he smiled a bit when he pulled out a second container that held six mini éclairs stuffed with chocolate crème. Though he didn't voice the thought, he was touched (but not surprised) that Tohma had remembered his favourites from their time in New York. There was one more item in the stocking, and Eiri frowned a little when he pulled out a small box. Opening it, both brows went up when he saw a set of keys on a Saab keychain, and holding it on the end of his index finger, he looked questioningly at his brother-in-law.

Tohma laughed a little. "It's to a Saab Cabriolet," he said. "I never did get you a congratulatory gift when you were first published, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and give you something special for our first Christmas as family."

Eiri smirked. "I already drive a Mercedes."

The smaller blond winked. "You have a two-car garage, though since you drove over here, Mika-san can bring it by tomorrow, and I'll pick her up."

Eiri grinned himself and shook his head a bit. "She'd better not get a scratch on it," he replied, his own eyes sparkling just a little. It was the closest thing to 'thank you' that Tohma was going to get.

"Now aren't you glad you decided to open your stocking, Eiri-kun?"

Meeting the green eyes, he nodded, only to frown a little when he felt a heavy, uncomfortable weight on his stomach. And then, he heard the persistent call of his name. Moments later, he blinked his eyes open, only to roll them when he saw Shuichi sitting on his stomach and shaking him to wake him up. With an annoyed growl, he pushed the teen onto the floor and then sat up from where he'd been dozing on the sofa, running a hand through his hair as he did so.

Shuichi let out a soft yelp when he hit the floor, and as he rubbed his ass, he pouted up at the other. "Yuki, you're always so mean! All I wanted was to decorate our tree!"

"Tree?" The blond's gaze shifted to the corner, his eyes widening when he saw the ten-foot pine tree the other had wrangled into the house. "God..."

His injury forgotten upon seeing Eiri taking some degree of interest in their decorating, he flitted about, unpacking the myriad bags he had full of decorations. "I've got mistletoe, and garland, and lights, and a wreath for the door, and stockings, and -"

"No stockings."

"What?"

The blond lit a cigarette. "I said no stockings."

"But Yuki!"

"No!" Ignoring the pout, he said, "I don't give a damn about all this other crap, but you're not going to give me a stocking."

"But, why not?"

"Because I said so." With that, he got to his feet and snatched the pair away from the teen, then sat back down on the couch.

Shuichi pouted for a moment, but when he realized that Eiri wasn't making him get rid of the other stuff, his earlier enthusiasm returned and he continued unpacking his parcels.

The blond watched disinterestedly as he smoked, and he smiled a little. Shuichi wouldn't understand, but he just couldn't break tradition.


End file.
